Case Study: Demon Hunters

Project Description: A 452-page book, hardcover and softcover, for roleplaying within the setting of Dead Gentlemen Productions’ Demon Hunters film.

The Demon Hunters RPG had four form factors: two softcover books, a hardcover book, and a deluxe hardcover. The deluxe edition had endpaper designs (see right) and a faux leather cover; the others had illustrated covers. All three non-deluxe versions had backcovers that needed to be designed. The first softcover version (the Gen Con Beta softcover) required me to create the front cover and cover copy as well.

Layout progressed in stages, prepping about half the final book for print in time for Gen Con 2015. The final release came months later when various chapters had finished going through rewrites and editing. This last phase of the book contained the 150-page chapter “The Brotherhood Database”, which had one statblock per spread with some spreads having three or four statblocks. This chapter is the adversary chapter, where each adversary is given their own page or full spread (depending on word count).

The design concept was this book is an in-world handbook. The endpapers had handwritten notes of advice (all variations of my handwriting) and a textbook checkout stamp that featured the previous owners of the book (all supporters of the crowdfunding campaign). Sidebars are written on paper cutouts stuck within the book. Tables are typed on index cards and other sheets of paper. The outside margins contained the edges of an open, well-used book which, when the physical book is opened, makes the book appear thicker.

Character sheets and other game aids were also provided for the client.